Alone Till Death Do Us Part

Two recent New York Times articles, “Alone Again, Naturally” by Dominique Browning and “One’s a Crowd” by Eric Klinenberg, extol the virtues and perks of living alone. While Browning theorized that women have an easier time living alone than men, Klinenberg noted that in the developed world, both more men and women are choosing to live alone, and are loving it.

So far the discussion has stayed to the more welcoming eras of our lives — starting out, in the thick of our careers. But what of the later years when we may need a hand?

I feel like the ant of Aesop’s fable asking the Grasshopper: “And what are your plans for winter?”

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